The Timberwolves season has come to a close on a bit of a sour note. The ended on a 15 game losing streak. Losing is something that Wolves fan have grown accustomed to. Being a die hard Wolves fan it is hard to see so many loses for a team that in my opinion should have had at least 25 to 30 wins. They were among the league leaders in points per game, but at the same time were among the leagues worst in points given up per game. There is not much to say about the lack of wins this team has. They were much more exciting to watch this year and seemed to be in most of there games and lose it in the last 2 minutes. Bad defense has been a trend with this team all year long. I think we will see big things happening next year with the development of the Timberwolves. It was sad being at Target Center and seeing all the players leave the court for the last time. I will miss the games and the players.
I loved what I seen down the stretch from Beasley, Randolph and Webster. Beasley returned to his pre ankle sprain form. He can score at will, there is know question about that. I look for Beasley now that he has got a glimpse of what he can be in this league and mean to Minnesota, to have a huge off season and have a huge year. He has all the tools, he has to stay focused and work hard on the defensive end and there is no stopping this guy. As for Randolph he has shown in this last stretch of games what he is capable of. He is extremely athletic and is a huge asset to the team. It would be nice if he could put on a few pounds of muscle and become and Amare Stoudamire/KG type player. I think he has the tools. Webster had a disappointing year with his back injuries. I think when he is healthy he is an excellent sixth man. He can shoot the ball with ease and he is a veteran presence that this team desperately needs. over the last month he put up strong numbers.
Wes Johnson is extremely athletic, and has huge upside. He also has shown flashes this year of being a very valuable player. He seems to disappear in some games though. Rambis and others have talked all year long how much they think Wes has improved since the beginning of the year, but it hasn't quite translated onto the court yet. Next year I look for Wes to take it upon himself and be more aggressive. When he plays with energy he is a totally different player. I think he will show us next year what the coaches have been raving about this year.
K-Love had an outstanding year, and I expect him to only get better. He was by far Minnesota's most reliable player and put up huge numbers night in and night out. It was a forgettable year for Jonny Flynn, one of my favorite Wolves. He struggled coming back from hip surgery and never found his grove again. He is a spark plug of a point guard and is usually a solid shooter. He proved this year that he can pass the ball well to and get his teammates involved. I personally hope he is back in Minnesota next year and has a big year. Best of luck Jonny. Tolliver was a player that i was very impressed with this year, he could hit the three and played great defense. He was the Wolves garbage man.
The Team has some major questions this off season.
-Can Jonny Flynn return to form and be the player Minnesota drafted, or will he even be a Timberwolf next year? Flynn would thrive in a pick and roll style offense, rather than a triangle, can he adjust?
-Is Rambis going to be around next year?
-Will Beasley turn the corner and become a Star in this league?
-Will Rubio finally come to Minnesota?
-Who should we draft?
-Should we package our draft picks and try to trade for a proven vet, like a Monte Ellis?
-Will Darko become a quality starter?
Wolves Year in Review
These are all questions the Wolves face. I would love it if you could leave your comments to these questions either on here or on facebook. I will write a follow up blog to the comments.
Thanks to all my readers, I will be moving to a new site next year for the Vikings and Wolves Blog so stayed tuned. It has been an awesome year and it sadly has come to an end.
